Dispensing mechanism



June 9, 1964 v. R. CARPENTER 3,136,450

DISPENSING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 29, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l U I INVENTOR. 4 a. Wee/4. 1?. CR RPEw'e/r ATTORNEY) June 9, 1964 v. R. CARPENTER 3,136,450

DISPENSING MECHANISM FiledNov. 29, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Wee/1. 1?. cnePsurse mu, M'm'eew A r ramvsvs United States Patent 3,136,450 DHSPENSING MECHANISM Virgil R. Carpenter, St. Paul, Minn, assignor to International Vending Machines, Inc., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Nov. 29, 1961, Ser. No. 155,545 1 Claim. (Cl. 221-114) This invention relates to mechanisms for dispensing individual packages, one at a time, from the bottom of a pile of such packages in a supply chamber. Such mechanisms find particular but not exclusive utility 1n dispensing packages of individual servings of salt, pepper, sugar or the like.

Packages containing granular or powdery material of this general type are usually relatively fiat and are also somewhat flexible. As a result, mechanisms for dispensing these packages often malfunction or become jammed due, primarily, to the fact that the package bends because of the weight of the above packages in the pile resting upon it, and this bending occurs while the package has been partially separated from the pile and it no longer is fully supported on its entire flat supporting surface.

' In mechanisms of this character it is essential that the packages are positively picked off, one at a time, Without hesitation, twisting or buckling of the package.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved mechanism for dispensing fiat packages, one at a time, successively from a plurality of piles of such packages. More specifically, a mechanism of this type is provided which utilizes a separator finger of improved design that prevents bending of the package being dispensed, provides timely and positive support for the rest of the pile of packages, and insures complete and positive separation of the lowermost package in the pile.

A more specific aspect of the present invention relates to a mechanism of the above type in which the lower surface of the separator finger is raised above and parallel to the surface on which the pile of packages previously rested. This relationship insures straight line movement of the package being dispensed and until the package is free to fall by gravity, thereby preventing bending'or buckling of the package and consequent malfunctioning of the mechanism.

Still another aspect of the invention relates to a mechanism of the type mentioned immediately above, in which positive movement of the lowermost package is also insured by a pair of spaced apart pusher fingers located on the lower end of the package supply chamber, and which fingers bear positively on the lowermost package while it is being initially engaged and then separated by the separator finger and until this package falls free by gravity. These pusher fingers pass closely adjacent and above the plate on which the package rests while it approaches the separator finger, and the latter then passes directly between these pusher fingers. The arrangement provides positive and complete control of the package at all times up to the point of its complete release from its pile and the dispensing mechanism.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear hereinafter as this disclosure progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view partially in section and with parts broken away for clarity, of a dispensing mechanism embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view taken generally from line 3-3 in FIGURE 2;

3,135,450 Patented June 9, 1964 FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view taken generally along line 44 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 4a is a perspective view of a package of the type dispensed by the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view of a dispensing mechanism using a modified form of the invention, certain parts being shown in section or broken away for clarity;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view in section of the FIGURE 5 mechanism;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary elevational of one of the separators shown in FIGURES 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, the view being generally similar to FIGURE 3, but showing the package to be dispensed in the position just as the finger enters between the pair of lowermost packages;

FIGURE 8 is a view like FIGURES 3 and 7, but showing the position of the package just after the FIGURE 7 position and just before the FIGURE 3 position, and

FIGURE 9 is a diagram showing the angular displacement of the fingers in the FIGURES 5 and 6 device.

General FIGURES l to 4, inclusive, illustrate the invention as applied to a mechanism utilizing a rotatable supply turret T having a plurality of supply chambers C which pass successively over a stationary separator finger F formed integrally with as by being pressed from a supporting plate P.

FIGURES 5 and 6 show the invention as embodied in a mechanism having a stationary supply turret ST. This turret has a pair of circumferentially arranged chambers C1 and C2 which, for example, are adapted to contain, respectively, packages of salt S, and a package of pepper PR (FIGURE 6). As the size of this supply turret ST is necessarily larger than the type of turret T, the turret ST is not made to rotate, but instead its associated plates P1 and P2 rotate. Plate P1 has a plurality of circumferentially spaced separator fingers F1 which pass beneath chambers C1, and plate P2 has another set of circumferentially spaced separator fingers F2 which pass beneath chambers C2.

In either modification of the invention, relative movement is provided between the separator fingers and the piles of packages, and the invention should not be limited only to movement of one or the other.

Support Plate Referring in greater detail to the form of the invention as shown in FIGURES 1 to 4, the sheet steel plate P may be rigidly fixed in horizontal position by its vertical flange 1 and bolt means 2 passing therethrough and through a machine (not shown) with which it is used. Usually, mechanisms of this type are enclosed in the housing of an automatic vending machine and constitute only one of several mechanisms within such a machine.

Power and Drive The power for rotating the turret is derived from a fractional horsepower, electric motor M which is of the type adapted to turn at a very low r.p.m. This motor is rigidly secured to the underside of plate P by means of bolts 3, and the motor shaft 4 extends upwardly through the plate. A post 5 of hexagonal cross section is secured by set screws 6 to the shaft, and it is this post on which the turret is mounted for being rotated thereby.

Supply Turret The turrent T is fabricated from sheet steel and comprises a pair of vertically spaced apart discs 7 and 8 having vertical annular flanges 7a and 8a, respectively, around their periphery. Disc 8 has a central hexagonal opening which is complementary to the post 5 and slips downwardly thereon for driving relationship therewith.

3 The disc 7 rests on the post 6, and a key 9 detachably locks them together for rotation as a unit. The turret also comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced and vertical chambers C.

These chambers are of the same cross-sectional shape, when viewed in plan, as the packages to be contained therein. As a result, the packages are free to slide downwardly in the chambers but are held from twisting by the front wall, side wall, rear wall, and the outer flanges 10, 11, 12, and 13, respectively, of the chamber. The discs are secured, as by spot welding, to walls 11.

The front walls 10 and rear walls 12, in respect to the direction of rotation of the turret, are cut away at their lower ends to provide a pair of fingers 14 and 15, respectively. These cut-away portions permit the separator finger to pass between the fingers 14, 15, while permitting the bottom end generally of the turret to be located in close proximity to the upper smooth surface of the plate P. The rear fingers 15 act as pusher fingers for the lowermost package in the chambers, and fingers 14 also act to guide this package and prevent it from twisting out of alignment when being separated, as will more fully appear.

Motor Control A projection 17 is pressed outwardly from each of the chambers for engagement with and actuation of a micro switch MS. This switch is connected in the electrical circuit with the motor M, and when the switch is contacted by a projection 17 the motor and consequently the turret stop rotating. The motor is again rendered operative by other mechanism (not shown) of the machine, but as the circuitry forms no part of the present invention, further mention of it is not believed necessary or desirable.

Separator Finger The separator finger of the device as shown in FIG- URE 1 is the same as the fingers of the FIGURE 5 device. FIGURES 3, 7, and 8 represent the relative position of the parts for either form of invention.

The separator finger F is formed integrally with the plate P by being pressed therefrom. An opening 0 of sufiicient size to permit passage of a package therethrough is punched from the plate and is located directly beneath the finger.

This finger includes a free end portion 18 which is spaced above the smooth upper surface 19 of the plate.

Attention is directed to the fact that the underside 20 of the portion 18 is located above-and parallel to the surface 19 of the plate, as shown clearly in FIGURES 3, 7, audit.

The inclined portion 21 of the finger is attached to and in fact is an integral part of the plate.

The portion 18 has a knife edge along its forward end in respect to the direction of its relative movement to the packages. This sharp, knife edge is adapted to easily and positively enter between the lowermost pair of packages in the pile, as shown in FIGURE 7. Entry of this edge is facilitated because of the slanted or inclined surface 22 formed on the end of the package.

It will be noted that the portion 18 is relatively wide in a lateral direction and is flat so as to firmly support the pile above it and also to prevent the lowermost package from tipping sideways while being separated. On the other hand, the separator finger can pass between the pairs of pusher fingers 14 and 15.

Attention is also directed to the relative location of the knife edge and the drop-off edge 24 of the opening 0. The distance between these edges cannot be too long or the package being dispensed would bend on doing so. Stated otherwise, the knife edge must supportingly engage the pile of packages (FIGURE 7) and thereby relieve the lowest package from the weight of the pile; otherwise, the flexible, lowest package would bend downwardly over edge 24. With the present invention, the package does not buckle when being dispensed, but as can d be seen from FIGURE 8, fails freely without binding, twisting, or bending which would result in jamming of this discharge area.

The space between the knife edge and the opening edge 24 may vary, of course, depending on the length of the package, the weight of the packages, or the rigidity of the packages. However, for a commonly used paper package of salt about one and three-fourths inch long, a distance of about one-fourth inch has proven to be satisfactory. 1

P/Iodificatz'on Referring now to the mechanism of FIGURES 5 and 6, the structure and functioning of the knife-edged separator fingers is the same, and parts similar to those in the FIGURE 1 mechanism have been correspondingly numbered.

In this modification of the invention, three separator fingers F1 are formed in plate F1 for cooperation with their respective annular row of supply chambers C1. Likewise, three fingers F2 are provided in plate F2 for action with chambers C2. As shown in FIGURES 6 and 9, the circumferential spacing between the fingers of the two plates is the same and are such that for every ten degrees of revolution of the turret ST, a package of either salt or pepper is dispensed. More specifically, the spacing between adjacent fingers in one plate is degrees, 110 degrees, and degrees. The same spacing is used in the other plate.

An inclined, collecting chute or bailie 3% causes the dispensed packages to collect in the tray 31. The packages dispensed by plate Pl fall through openings 32 provided in plate P2 for that purpose.

Separate motors M1 and M2 are mounted on the turret, and the support shaft 33, respectively, for driving the plates P1 and P2 through their attached ring gears G1 and G2, respectively, and from the pinion gears 34 and 35 attached to their respective motor shafts.

The plates P1 and P2 are rotatably mounted on shaft 33 by their respective antifriction bearing assemblies 36 and 37 to which they are secured along with their ring gears.

Motors M1 and M2 may be operated independently for dispensing either salt or pepper, or they may be operated concurrently for dispensing both.

Recapitulalion Mechanism has been provided for positively dispensing flat packages even though they may be of the non-rigid or flexible type. The separator finger provides timely and positive support for the pile of packages above that one package being dispensed. The finger also helps prevent the package being dispensed from tipping and furthermore insures that it does not bend. The structure of the finger and its relationship with the supporting plate permits the lowermost package to travel uninterruptedly until it is free to fall by gravity. The construction of the lower end of the turret is such that it lies in close proximity to the supporting plate, yet the separator finger does not come into contact with it. The pusher fingers on the turret also contribute to the positive and aligned movement of the package being dispensed.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claim particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

I claim:

Mechanism for dispensing relatively fiat packages, a supply turret defining a plurality of circumferentially spaced and generally vertical chambers each having an open bottom end, said chambers being arranged in two annular rows and each chamber adapted to contain a pile of flat packages to be dispensed through its bottom end, a pair of plates disposed directly beneath said turret each having a fiat upper surface, one upper surface being positioned closely adjacent the lower end of each annular 6 e entially spaced and fiat separator fingers References Cited in the file of this patent formed on each plate and each finger hav1ng a knife edge UNITED STATES PATENTS ralsed above the upper surface of its respective plate and facing in a direction of relative movement between said "1556,780 May 3, 1932 turret and plates, and means for causing rotation of said 5 1,888,047 Nefdutln 15, 1932 2,693,300 Ch1lders et a1 Nov. 2, 1954 plates whereby said edges relatively pass successively beneath their respective piles and are urged between the lowermost pair of packages in said piles to separate the FOREIGN PATENTS lowermost package from its pile and permit said package 1,049 Great Britain Jan. 15, 1906 to fall by gravity. 10 1,049A Great Britain Jan. 15, 1906 

